


Love

by AbelineGrace



Series: Gravity Falls [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Abuse, Divorce, Flashbacks, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, crap writing, parental arguments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29628699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbelineGrace/pseuds/AbelineGrace
Summary: Dipper and Mabel's parents fight, a l o t. Dipper usually takes Mabel and distracts her, until one time he doesn't get her in time and he ends up spiralling.Originally posted on Wattpad
Relationships: Dipper Pines & Mabel Pines
Series: Gravity Falls [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2176971
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Love

There was shouting in the kitchen. Dipper sighed and quickly got out of bed, sneaking into the little cubby between his and his sisters room.

Knocking on the door it opened soon after to reveal his twin sister "Hey Mabel," he smiled to her gently

Mabel raised a brow, about to ask about what their parents were yelling about but Dipper quickly pulled out a bored game from inside the cubby and held it up to her "Candy Land?" he asked hesitantly

Mabel lit up and crawled in, closing the doors and locking them from the inside.

It was a simple little space, they'd recently decorated it though. It was beneath the stairs and in between their rooms, it kinda looked a bit like an attic. They had multicolored fairy lights strung around the room, posters on the walls. Games, and snacks sat on the far wall and under the slanted one were countless blankets and pillows they usually spread all the way through the room.

Making space Dipper set the game up, hoping to successfully distract his sister.

-=-

After the summer of.. well demons and shit, the stress of his parents constant fighting was starting to get to him. Whenever it happened he'd have to go get Mabel, they'd hide in the cubby which for the most part blocked out the sound from outside and distract her. Then he'd bring in his laptop and they'd watch a movie to fall asleep or somethin.

This one

This one was bad.

They were screaming, things were being broken. Dipper and Mabel were in the living room when it started, the adults in the kitchen.

They were playing a game of uno and when their parents started yelling. Dipper was about to grab Mabel.

But his hands started shaking, he couldnt focus.

"Mabel," he began shakily, he was gonna try and tell her to go sit in the cubby, but he couldnt make the words.

Mabel was now fighting between helping her brother and her parents.

She chose her brother.

Rushing over to him from the other side of the coffee table she got down on the floor next to him "Dippy, Dipper look at me," she said, trying to ignore shattering glass.

Dipper could hardly even hear her, the voice was echoing.

He was spiraling and he knew it, but he didnt know how to get out of it enough to get to his room.

"Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed, almost crying, she was gripping Dipper's arms and he had a firm grip on the sleeves of her sweater.

Dipper snapped to attention but it only lasted a moment, her face reminded him of way too many things and now he was overwhelmed "I cant," he tried, come on stupid brain make a coherent sentence

"Dipper, breathe,"

"Room," he whispered. His shaking had worsened, images of the summer flashed and suddenly he was hugging Mabel as if she were his damned lifeline.

Mabel was quick to get to work, picking Dipper up she carried him to her room.

She noticed her parents suddenly stop arguing as she walked past carrying a crying, shaking, wheezing Dipper.

"What happened?" Asked their father gently, both parents took a step closer.

"You made him spiral with your constant fighting!" she snapped, Dipper whimpered and tightened his grip on her "Sorry," she whispered to him.

The parents stood shocked and Mabel was about to continue walked when she saw her father push her mother violently. She tumbled back and knocked a vase onto the floor. "This is your fault!" he shouted at her.

Mabel sighed, tears welling in her eyes, she headed toward her room.

Dipper had gone quiet, she couldnt even hear him breathing when they got to her room.

"Dipper?" she asked cautiously, setting him down on her bed, "Dipper," she tried again

Dipper wasnt breathing, but he surely wasnt dead **wtf is my writing**. He was sobbing silently, when he was set down he went straight to pulling at his hair and curling up. Flashes of memories invading his vision.

"Dipper, breathe!" Mabel insisted.

He barely managed a shaky breath before he sputtered and wheezed, in his moment away from the panic he grabbed for Mabel who, recognizing this, took his hand and gently squeezed it.

He set his other hand on top, squeezing hers back. Tears were pouring down his face and he was staring out the nearby window.

The slamming of the front door mixed with a flash of a laughing Bill set everything off again.

"Damned PTSD," **ah yes the exposition dumb** he muttered under his breath, wheezing in gripping Mabel's hand tighter, moving a hand back to his hair.

"PTSD?" Mabel asked quietly, they'd both been having therapy sessions ever since the summer [they didnt actually give any real details but they made stories up]. She didn't know Dipper had PTSD..

She knew he had Anxiety, which is what she first assumed this was, a quick squeeze of her hand brought her back to the present. Squeezing his hand back she looked up at him.

"Alone," he began in a whisper, "Need," he hiccuped "To be alone,"

Mabel almost laughed "Yeah, no that's not happening," She replied sternly.

The bedroom door opened and there stood their mother, a black eye forming and blood on her lip "Is he alright?" she asked gently.

"Mom!" Dipper was snapped to reality for a moment, anybody else hurt always mattered more than himself. He hiccupped and wheezed before shaking it off "What happened?"

"Your father.. wont be coming back," she gave a sad smile "Sweetheart, do you remember how to calm down?" she asked gently

Dipper hadnt really noticed but he'd stopped breathing again, another flash of Bill and he was crying again, squeezing Mabel's hand.

Mabel squeezed back, just as hard to let him know she was here.

Their mother just watched worriedly before walking over and crouching down by the bed, taking her son's current appearance in.

His hair was a mess from him pulling at it, his face was covered in tears, his eyes were red and puffy. The boy could clearly barely even breathe and he was still shaking. "Dipper, can you look at us?" she asked kindly

Dipper didnt, he was back to staring at the window. He sealed his eyes shut and harshly squeezed Mabel's hand when a memory invaded his mind. He pushed against his head with the palm of his hand and harshly pulled at his hair with his fingers.

Mabel winced but did her best to not let Dipper notice, knowing he'd focus on her and not himself. She'd never been taught to help him in these situations, she hadn't seen him have an anxiety attack in so long.

She wouldnt be surprised if he'd thought he could handle them on his own.

He always does that.

So she was trying to let it run it's course

She then remembered this isnt just an Anxiety Attack, if he had PTSD then this was probably also flashbacks, that was something she knew how to deal with.

"Dipper, you're in California, you're just having flashbacks," she told him, "You're alright, you're safe, Dipper I need you to breathe,"

Dipper didn't seem to register it. "Dipper," she said firmly, grabbing his attention "How many windows are in this room," she asked

Dipper looked at her, hiccuping and confused. He looked around "Two," he stuttered

"What color are the walls?"

"White and pink,"

"Who is in here with you?"

"You,"

"Who am I?"

"My sister,-"

"Who else is in here?"

Dipper looked confused then he looked around "Mom," he wheezed a little and winced, another flashback attacking him.

His breathing sped up and he held tightly to her hand.

"Dipper, slow your breathing, focus on us," their mother requested calmly.

"Dipper, look at me," he did

"Look at mom," He did

Her wounds made him quickly look back to Mabel. He shook his head and closed his eyes.

That wasnt a good idea.

"Dipper, open your eyes," Mabel said gently.

He did so, but he didnt move his head up, he was squeezing her hand and looking up at her with only his eyes.

Mabel looked a bit taken aback, realizing how vulnerable Dipper probably feels. "Dipper, focus on me, focus on my room, and above all,"

"Breathe," Mabel insisted.

-=-

Dipper did so

It took a whopping ten minutes for him to finally calm down at least to the point he could convince Mabel he'd be fine.

He was still shaking and holding tight onto something [usually his arms or clothes] to keep grounded.

"What was that?" their Mom asked while Mabel gave Dipper a hug.

"Flashbacks," Dipper mumbled, Mabel was up on the bed pretty much clinging to her brother.

"To what? Mabel said me and your father caused this," she asked, she'd dealt with his anxiety before when he was little, but this was completely different.

Dipper cleared his throat "You guys just triggered it, uhm, then I spiraled," he ended up mumbling again

"We told you that as much as we want to go back to Gravity Falls.. something happened and Dipper had it the worst," Mabel informed.

Dipper whispered to her saltily "Yes, because you were trapped in a bubble and suffered immense guilt for not helping, I had it worse than you," she rolled her eyes at the comment but hugged him tighter.

"What could have possibly happened that could have caused.. that?" Their mother asked

"It's not easy to explain," Dipper mumbled "I don't really want to talk about it right now," he fiddled with his hands.

Their mother sighed before clearing her throat "Okay.. uhm, your father and I are getting a divorce, you're staying with me because he's.. not exactly safe," she informed.

Dipper and Mabel didnt look too pleased, but hey.. the fighting would stop.

Dipper nodded and Mabel gave a reassuring smile to her mother and gave a quiet "It'll be alright," to her.

Their mother left, kissing them both goodnight and telling them that if they ever wanted to talk about it, they could.

As soon as she was gone Dipper started crying again, "Why us?" he asked quietly, flopping back and causing Mabel to fall back with him onto the bed.

"I don't know, guess we're just lucky,"

"Yeah, lucky," Dipper rolled away from her. She sighed and wrapped him in a hug

"Goodnight, bro-bro," she mumbled when she realized he was gonna fall asleep.


End file.
